VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — On Friday, visitors were banned from Canada’s prisons and a jail guard in Toronto tested positive for COVID-19, now advocates are renewing their call for vulnerable women to be released from the country’s crowded prisons amid the pandemic.

The Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies stopped sending advocates into federal institutions more than a week ago, concerned they could carry the virus to the women who are confined in them.

“The challenge is, when you have people who are living in very close quarters and who cannot escape and socially isolate themselves the concern for us is that something like the COVID-19 virus will spread very quickly. For women whose health is already compromised in many ways, it could be potentially very deadly for them,” said Executive Director Emilie Coyle.

On March 15, the organization issued a call to the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) to release women who pose little risk to the public in order to protect them from the risk of the virus.